Wade Baldwin scouting report

Wade Baldwin has a game suited for the modern league. He’s not a traditional point guard, but he has great vision and can stroke threes. With his size and length, the Vanderbilt sophomore should develop into a force on defense. Baldwin was in a poor situation at Vanderbilt, but still put up quality stats, averaging 14.1 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game.

Click through the slides for Baldwin's strengths, weaknesses, and his fit on the Celtics.

Baldwin has come a long way in his two years at Vanderbilt. He was once an unranked high school recruit and is now a borderline lottery pick. The 6-foot-3 guard developed into an excellent shooter, draining 40.6 percent of his threes last season. He’s not a traditional point guard, but he consistently delivers accurate passes off the dribble.

Baldwin has the ferocious mentality required to be a great defender, coupled with natural athletic traits. He uses his length to wreak havoc in the passing lanes and his chiseled frame allows him to switch onto larger players.

Baldwin says his favorite player is Russell Westbrook and you see the similarities on offense -- but he isn’t quite as athletic or talented. He pulls up from mid-range on a dime, but isn’t able to create much space off the dribble. He drives strong at the rim, but he can’t throw down dunks with the intensity of a tsunami.

Even a “poor man’s Westbrook” is a pretty good player. But Baldwin needs to play within himself while improving on his weaknesses, instead of thinking he’s Westbrook with a better basketball IQ.

Baldwin fits the profile of guards the Celtics have drafted in the past. With his long wingspan and bulldog mentality, he measures similarly to Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, and Rajon Rondo.

The Celtics might be stacked at the guard/wing position right now, but that shouldn’t stop them from picking Baldwin. He’s like a combination of R.J. Hunter and Terry Rozier, with Hunter’s shooting ability and Rozier’s point guard instincts and defense.